Gun Sales up 40 Percent Since Orlando Shooting

Gun sales continue historic climb.

Its not uncommon for terrorist attacks and mass shootings to be followed closely by a spike in gun sales. Turning events like the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and the recent police shooting in Dallas into tactics for pushing more gun control legislation seem to be a common thread for the current administration in this country. Many attribute the growth in gun sales to the push for more gun control regulations as well as a natural desire by most of the general public to be able to defend themselves.

According to a report by Fortune, the FBI processed 2.1 million background checks for gun sales in June of 2016. Considering last June saw 1.5 million applications, that's roughly a 40 percent increase from 2015 to 2016.

It ironic that the push for tighter gun control restrictions is in fact arming more citizens than ever before. One would think that our current administration would be able to put the pieces together. It's almost as if they are intentionally ignoring the sentiment of the American people.

Overall 2015 was a record breaking year for gun sales. The FBI processed just over 23 million background checks throughout the year. However, so far in 2016, records have been broken each month. If this trajectory continues, the yearly volume record is unlikely to stand. We're currently on pace for an increase of roughly 32% year over year.

June's 40 percent increase in firearm sales can be attributed primarily to the Pulse nightclub shooting. Similarly, the December shooting in San Bernadino was also credited for a significant boost in gun sales in the first few months of the year.